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When Juliet's consciousness finally returned, it came in fragments-first sound, then sensation, and finally sight. The steady beep of monitors. The cool press of sheets against her skin. The antiseptic smell that could only mean one thing: safety.

Lucy's private clinic.

She blinked slowly as the world came into focus. White walls. Soft light filtering through partially drawn blinds. And next to her, three tiny bundles nestled in a portable bassinet.

"They're beautiful, aren't they? " Lucy's voice came from the doorway.

Juliet tried to sit up, wincing as pain shot through her abdomen. Her hand instinctively went to her belly-flat now where it had been swollen for months. The phantom weight of her pregnancy still pulled at her muscles, her body not yet understanding what her mind already knew.

"My babies," she whispered, throat raw.

Lucy moved closer, adjusting Juliet's pillows so she could sit up.

"Three healthy pups. Two boys and a girl. All strong. All fighters. Just like their mother."

Juliet's eyes darted around the room, counting again. Three. Not four.

"Where..." The question died in her throat as memories crashed back-the cottage, the labor, Sofia's voice, the desperate flight into the woods. "The first one. My firstborn."

Lucy's face tightened. She sat on the edge of the bed, taking Juliet's hand in hers. "Sofia found him in the cottage. They took him. I'm so sorry, Juliet."

The pain that tore through Juliet then was worse than labor-raw, primal, and complete. Her wolf should have howled, should have risen to fight. But there was nothing. Just emptiness where Rosie had been.

"We have to get him back," Juliet said, already trying to swing her legs over the side of the bed. "We have to..."

Lucy's grip tightened. "Juliet, stop. You almost died. The trauma of the shift during labor, losing Rosie... your body is barely holding on."

"I don't care !" Juliet snarled, surprising herself with the ferocity in her voice. "That's my son ! My firstborn !"

"And if you go after him now, you'll lose these three too," Lucy said firmly, gesturing to the sleeping infants. "The Waltons are expecting you to come for him. Sofia will have guards, trackers-the full resources of the Frostfang Pack waiting. It would be a suicide mission. And without your wolf..."

The truth hit Juliet like a physical blow. Without Rosie, she was just a human. Weaker. Slower. An easy target.

Lucy's voice softened. "They won't hurt him. That baby has Blair blood-Alpha blood. Sofia will likely take him straight to Alpha Kaius."

Juliet slumped back against the pillows, the fight draining out of her as quickly as it had come, leaving only a bitter ash in her mouth.

She stared up at the ceiling, the silence in the room heavy and suffocating.

"So that's it then," she laughed, a brittle, broken sound that cracked in the quiet room. "My son's only shield is the very blood that made us targets in the first place."

She turned her head, looking at the wall with hollow eyes. "He's safe not because he's mine, but because he's his. I have to trust the monster to protect my child. God, what a cruel joke."

Lucy didn't deny it. There was no comfort to offer that wouldn't feel like a lie.

Instead, she moved to the bassinet and gently lifted the smallest bundle. "Would you like to hold your daughter? "

The baby was impossibly light in Juliet's arms, wrapped in a soft white blanket. When she opened her eyes, they were the same piercing blue that Juliet saw in her own reflection. A shock of black hair crowned her tiny head.

"There's something else you should know," Lucy said quietly, watching Juliet's face. "All three of them... they're scentless."

Juliet's breath caught. That kind of trait was rare.

"Is it because of the shift? " she asked.

Lucy nodded. "That, and the trauma. Their bodies adapted in utero. It's like their wolves learned to hide before they were even born."

Juliet looked down at the baby in her arms, a strange mix of awe and guilt pooling in her chest.

No scent meant safety. No trail to follow. A gift born of chaos.

"They need names," Lucy said gently. "All three of them."

Juliet looked at the third -born, who lay sleeping peacefully.

With his brown hair and golden eyes that had briefly opened during his first feeding, he was the image of his firstborn brother-the one now lost to her.

"Leo," she whispered, stroking his cheek with a trembling finger. "He looks so much like him... we'll call him Leo."

Juliet looked at the second child, another boy, with deep black hair that reminded her of his father. His eyes were as blue and endless as the sea.

"Milo," she said softly, brushing a thumb over his tiny fist.

And finally, she looked down at the daughter cradled in her arms. "Elena. Her name is Elena."

Tears streamed down Juliet's face as she gazed at her children-three beautiful miracles, and the hollow space where a fourth should have been.

"We'll get him back," she promised, her voice cracking under the weight of a vow she wasn't sure she could keep. "Someday. When we have the leverage. When we aren't running for our lives."

Lucy nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. They both knew the grim calculus.

The Blackwood pack wasn't just a pack; it was a dynasty, an empire with tentacles in every boardroom and back alley across the East Coast.

Alpha Kaius's resources were practically infinite.

The chances of reclaiming a child from them-especially one with Alpha blood-were statistically zero. It would be like trying to steal a cub from a lion's den while wearing a steak necklace.

After a long silence, Lucy pulled a thick manila envelope from her bag and slid it across the bedside table. It hit the surface with a heavy thud.

"These are for you," she said, flipping it open to reveal a passport, a crisp new driver's license, and a stack of notarized documents. "Austin Voss. Widow, freelance graphic designer, seeking a fresh start. I've booked you on a red-eye to London leaving tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow? " Juliet looked up sharply, wincing as the sudden movement pulled at her stitches. "We don't have time," Lucy cut in, her eyes hard. "Sofia knows I helped you. She's not stupid, and she's relentless. It won't take her long to sniff out the trail leading here. You need to be gone before her enforcers kick down my front door."

"There's fifty thousand in the account I've set up," Lucy continued. "It's routed through a shell company, completely clean. It's not a fortune, but it should get you established somewhere safe."

"And what about you? " Juliet asked, suddenly realizing what her friend was risking. "When they come looking..."

"I'll be fine," Lucy said with a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes, smoothing out her skirt as if preparing for an interrogation.

"I've already prepared my story. Hippocratic Oath. You showed up bleeding, I treated you as any doctor would, and you left against medical advice. Without a warrant or proof, they can't touch me. It's a free country, mostly."

Juliet didn't believe her, but she nodded anyway.

Arguing would only waste precious time.

"I need to feed them," she said instead, looking down at Elena who had begun to stir and whimper. "And then I need to learn how to be Austin Voss."

As she settled the baby at her breast, Juliet made a silent vow. She would survive. She would protect these three children with everything she had.

And somehow, someday, she would find a way back to her firstborn.

The woman who walked through the international terminal the next evening bore little resemblance to the trembling Omega who had fled into the night.

Her golden hair was now chestnut brown, dyed in the clinic sink and cut short in a practical bob.

Oversized designer sunglasses hid her distinctive blue eyes.

Three sleeping infants were secured in a high-end travel system, their papers identifying them as the children of Austin Voss.

Kaius

Six months had passed since that night of intense passion. Yet those incompetent Frostfang wolves hadn't provided a single useful lead. Not even a decent photograph. Just a name: Juliet Walton.

Kaius paced his office, fingers drumming on the polished mahogany desk. He wasn't used to being out of control. As Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, the most powerful werewolf collective on the East Coast, he was used to obedience and results.

But this elusive Omega, possibly his true mate if his wolf was right, had vanished like mist at sunrise.

"Still no word? " Ethan asked from the doorway. He leaned casually, the way only a Beta could.

Kaius growled low. "Nothing worth mentioning."

He had considered rejecting Juliet.

An Omega with no status and a scandal at her back was the last thing he needed.

Sofia Walton claimed Juliet had drugged her and taken her place that night. Maybe it was true, maybe not.

Juliet had disappeared before he could ask. No explanation. No defense.

But Alex, his wolf, had refused every other female since.

"You're obsessing," Ethan said. He poured himself a glass of Kaius's bourbon and took a sip. "Six months is a long time to chase a ghost."

"She's not a ghost," Kaius snapped. He forced himself to calm down, rolling his shoulders to release the tension. "If she's carrying my pup..."

That night had been unforgettable.

His body still remembered the way she moved, the sound of her voice, the warmth of her breath against his skin. If she had conceived... if she returned and apologized, he might take her back.

She might have lied. She might have used him.

Still, she was his mate.

He was Alpha. He didn't run from what was his. He protected it.

He could imagine a proper mating ceremony.

The intercom buzzed.

"Alpha," came the voice of his secretary. "Luna Cara of the Frostfang Pack requests an audience. She says it's about your ongoing investigation."

Kaius's heart beat faster. Maybe they had found Juliet at last.

"Let her in. Now."

The door opened fast, and Luna Cara stepped inside. Two Frostfang guards followed her.

But Kaius only saw what she held in her arms. A small bundle wrapped in a blue blanket.

"Alpha Kaius," Luna Cara said, bowing politely. Her voice was smooth and diplomatic. "I bring news about the Omega Juliet."

"I can see that," Kaius said, eyes locked on the small bundle. "Is that what I think it is? "

She stepped forward and pulled back the edge of the blanket. A sleeping baby lay inside. Brown hair. A familiar jawline. The resemblance was clear.

His wolf surged, growling softly with instinct. Kaius stiffened, his hand twitching at his side. He wanted to hold the child. Protect him. Claim him.

"Your son," Luna Cara confirmed. "Born to Juliet, about three days ago."

Kaius stepped closer, his expression unreadable. He had been lied to once. He would not be fooled again.

"Dr. Reynolds," he called. The pack doctor stepped out from the shadows of the room. "Run a DNA test. Now."

Luna Cara gave a small smile. It didn't reach her eyes. "Of course. We expected that."

Thirty minutes later, Kaius stood in his private lab. The results were on the screen. 99.99% probability. The child was his.

He should have felt triumphant. But instead, his chest felt hollow. Something was missing.

"The boy is healthy," Dr. Reynolds said. "Strong vitals. Good weight. But. no scent. That's rare-even for hybrids. Still, he'll be a fine heir."

Kaius's eyes narrowed. "No scent? "

The doctor gave a slight nod. "Completely neutral. Undetectable to wolves."

Kaius fell silent, staring down at the child cradled in his arms. The boy stirred, then settled against his chest without a sound.

No scent. No signature. But he was still Kaius's son. Still Alpha-born.

And Kaius had never needed tradition to build power. He would raise the boy himself-shape him, sharpen him.

Scent or no scent, this child would rule.

But where was she? Why hadn't Juliet come herself?

Kaius returned to the pack's receiving hall to find Luna Cara waiting, her expression carefully arranged into a politician's smile.

"The pup is mine. That much is clear. You've proven marginally useful-for once. Now tell me. where's Juliet? "

Luna Cara's eyes darted to the side, her fingers nervously smoothing a non-existent wrinkle on her skirt.A tell-tale sign of discomfort.

"Juliet... didn't survive the birth," she said, her voice dropping to a somber pitch that sounded rehearsed, like a press release delivered to a grieving public. "The labor was difficult. Complications arose. By the time our midwife realized something was wrong... it was too late."

The words hit Kaius like a physical blow.

Alex howled in anguish within him, a sound so filled with grief that Kaius nearly doubled over.

Dead? His mate gone before he'd even had the chance to truly know her?

"I'm so sorry," Luna Cara continued, though her eyes held a calculating gleam that belied her words. "We did everything we could."

Kaius tightened his hold on his son, using the child as an anchor against the storm of emotion threatening to overwhelm him.

He couldn't accept that Juliet was gone, that he would never see the woman who had haunted his dreams for months, never know the face of his son's mother.

There were barely any photos of her in the Frostfang Pack's records, and the few that existed were all from before she turned ten.

Something about Luna Cara's story rang false, but he couldn't identify what. Not yet.

"I see," he finally said, his voice dangerously soft. "Then I suppose we're done here."

Luna Cara smiled, a predatory flash of teeth that vanished as quickly as it appeared. "We were hoping to discuss the continued alliance between our packs. Perhaps a formal acknowledgment of the Frostfang Pack's role in securing your legacy..."

"Get out," Kaius interrupted, ice coating each syllable. "Consider every deal, every trade route, and every security pact between Blackwood and Frostfang frozen effective immediately."

Luna Cara's smile vanished. "But Alpha Kaius..."

"Be grateful," he cut in, stepping forward, his shadow falling over her, "that I don't burn the bridge entirely. Now, leave my office."

Luna Cara opened her mouth as if to protest, then wisely closed it.

With a stiff nod, she and her guards retreated, the heavy oak doors closing behind them with a decisive thud.

The moment they were gone, Kaius turned to Ethan. "Keep digging into Juliet Walton's whereabouts. And I want surveillance on the Frostfang Pack doubled. Put a tail on Cara. I want to know who she calls, where she eats, and when she sleeps. Something isn't right."

"You think she might still be alive? " Ethan asked carefully.

Kaius looked down at the sleeping infant in his arms, tracing the delicate curve of his cheek with one finger. "I don't know," he admitted. "But until I see proof otherwise, we keep looking."

He moved to the window, holding his son up to the fading afternoon light. The child's eyes fluttered open-golden, just like his own. A true heir to the Blackwood Pack.

"Meanwhile," Kaius continued, his voice firm with resolve, "prepare a press release. The Blackwood Pack has an heir, and I will be raising him as a single father." His jaw tightened. "His name will be Eliot Blair."

The baby gurgled softly, tiny fingers grasping at the air. Kaius held him closer, making a silent promise-to his son, to himself, and to the mate he refused to believe was truly lost:

"We will find the truth," he whispered. "I don't care if I have to tear the world apart brick by brick."

Austin/Juliet

Six years had passed since that fateful night at The Cardinal Hotel. Six years of building a new life.

Six years of raising three beautiful children far from the relentless scrutiny of New York's high society and its ever-spinning gossip circles. Six years of looking over her shoulder, wondering if the Blackwood Alpha would ever find her.

Austin Voss stood in the bustling arrivals hall of JFK International Airport.

Her designer sunglasses sat perfectly on her nose, despite the artificial lighting.

Her brown hair was swept into a sleek chignon. It framed her delicate features and highlighted the pearl earrings that caught the light when she moved. She looked calm, collected, and completely in control.

"Mommy, can we get ice cream? " Elena tugged at the sleeve of Austin's cashmere coat. Her wide blue eyes sparkled with excitement. At six years old, she already showed signs of the beauty she would grow into. Her porcelain skin and glossy black hair made heads turn.

"We just landed, sweetheart," Austin said gently. "Let's get settled first."

She glanced around the terminal, noting how strangers paused to admire the children. The triplets drew attention wherever they went.

Milo stood quietly at her side. His blue eyes were serious, and his dark hair was neatly combed.

Elena stayed close to him, clutching his hand.

Leo, on the other hand, had already wandered a few steps away. He was charming an elderly woman with a smile that could melt steel. His golden eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Austin !"

A familiar voice rose above the noise. Lucy Carter waved as she walked quickly through the crowd, her tote bag bouncing against her hip.

"Aunt Lucy !"

The kids lit up and ran toward her. Their laughter echoed through the terminal.

Lucy crouched to hug them all at once. "You've gotten so big since our last call. Milo, are you taller than me already? "

"Did you bring us presents? " Leo asked, eyes on her bag.

"Leo," Austin said quietly.

Lucy smiled. "What kind of godmother shows up empty-handed? But first-who wants to see the teddy bear workshop at the mall? They have new wolf cubs you can customize."

The kids cheered. A flight attendant passing by smiled. A tired mother nearby paused to watch.

"Please, Mom? " Elena asked, her usual calm gone.

Austin hesitated. Her instincts screamed to keep them close. But they were in public. Cameras. People. Bright lights.

"Alright," she said. "Stay together. Meet me at carousel four in thirty minutes. No exceptions."

Lucy gave her a steady look. "I've got them. I promise."

Austin nodded. She watched them blend into the crowd, then turned toward baggage claim.

The carousel was moving. Luggage circled slowly. She spotted her suitcase and stepped forward.

Then she felt it.

A weight. A presence. Someone watching.

Her breath caught. She reached for the handle.

Before she could grab it, a hand closed around her wrist.

Electric heat shot up her arm.

She froze.

"Juliet? "

A deep voice rumbled behind her, low and unmistakable, like distant thunder rolling over a wide plain. The sound sent a cold shiver down her spine.

Austin flinched. Instinct kicked in.

She tried to pull away, but the grip on her wrist tightened.

Her heart slammed against her ribs as she turned and came face-to-face with the man who had haunted her dreams for six long years.

Kaius Blair.

He stood before her, larger than memory, golden eyes burning with the same ruthless fire. His shoulders were broader, his jaw more defined.

Power radiated off him like heat from sunbaked asphalt. Everyone nearby seemed to fade into the background.

Austin kept her face still. No flicker of recognition. No weakness. Just cold control.

"I'm sorry," she said coolly, her accent sharpened and clipped, more London than Louisiana."I believe you have me confused with someone else."

Kaius didn't let go. His nostrils flared slightly. He was searching-testing the air for her scent.

But there was nothing. Just clean, scentless skin.

"You look..." he paused, eyes scanning her face like he was trying to solve a puzzle he didn't know he'd already solved.

A flicker of something passed through his gaze-recognition, or maybe memory.

"Familiar."

"I get that a lot," she replied with a shrug, the movement casual, rehearsed. "I must have one of those faces."

He didn't smile. He didn't blink. His gaze was unrelenting.

There was something about her that pulled at him-not just memory, but instinct.

Alex stirred restlessly inside him, his wolf pacing just beneath the surface.

But she was human. Completely human. Not even a trace of wolf energy.

And yet-

"Are you Juliet Walton? " he asked, voice sharp now. Direct. Commanding.

The kind of voice that didn't leave room for lies.

The name she'd abandoned years ago hit her like a physical blow.

"No," she said smoothly, her voice calm, practiced. "My name is Austin Voss. I believe you have me confused with someone else."

Kaius's eyes narrowed, probing hers with unsettling focus. He was searching for a lie, something to betray her.

But Juliet held his gaze, steady and unreadable. Years of pretending had forged her into something close to unshakable.

Inside, her pulse thundered.

Kaius inhaled slowly, brow furrowing in concentration.

"Austin Voss," he repeated, tasting the name like cheap wine he didn't trust. "You're certain we haven't met? "

Austin arched an eyebrow, tilting her chin slightly. She stood straighter, slipping into the skin of the woman she'd spent years becoming-a composed, high-functioning professional who didn't blink under pressure.

"Quite certain," she replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have people waiting."

Her gaze dropped pointedly to the hand still wrapped around her wrist.

"This is becoming... uncomfortable."

For a long moment, neither of them moved. Then Kaius released herfinally . He stepped back with a slight nod, though the intensity in his eyes never wavered.

"My apologies, Ms. Voss," he said. "The resemblance is... remarkable."

Juliet gave a brisk nod and bent to retrieve her suitcase-and the second one that had arrived during their conversation.

"No harm done. Good day, Mr...? "